Mac Allister hails Messi after historic World Cup hat-trick

Lionel Messi’s latest record night gave Argentina a 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City and turned the World Cup opener into a clear statement about how Lionel Scaloni wants his side to function. Alexis Mac Allister said the design was deliberate, arguing that Argentina built the team so Messi could operate in comfort rather than carry the attack alone.

“Today, it’s clear that Leo is the most important of all. We tried to build a team so that he feels comfortable,” Mac Allister said. The Liverpool midfielder also pointed to Argentina’s poor start in the previous World Cup as a lesson, saying the first result matters because confidence can shape a tournament even when a team recovers later and lifts the trophy.

Messi rewarded that structure with his first World Cup hat-trick. He struck in the 17th minute, then again in the 59th and 75th or 76th minute, with the second goal coming after Mac Allister’s shot was left loose in the area. Rodrigo De Paul supplied the pass for the opening goal, and Messi finished the night as the center of everything Argentina did going forward.

The numbers around the performance underlined how far Messi has carried the tournament’s scoring history. He reached 16 World Cup goals, drawing level with Miroslav Klose for the men’s record, while also making his 200th appearance for Argentina. He became the first player to appear in six World Cups and matched the record for most World Cup matches played, with 27. He was also the oldest player to score multiple times in a World Cup match and the oldest to record a World Cup hat-trick.

For Argentina, the match offered both reassurance and a warning. Mac Allister and the midfield gave the champions the structure to find Messi early and often, but the plan still depends on the captain turning supply into goals. That dependency is a strength when Argentina controls games as cleanly as it did here; it is also a vulnerability if the buildup is not sharp enough to keep Messi in the decisive zones.